


A price on her head

by arcayde



Series: Land of Mercenaries [1]
Category: Cayde’s OC’s
Genre: F/F, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-19
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2019-08-04 11:57:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16346297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arcayde/pseuds/arcayde
Summary: Nuhi is tormented with a nightmare she believes to be repressed memories. Inari helps her on he journey to discover how she lost the memories in the first place, and who is responsible for the tragic past of the makos.





	A price on her head

The abyssal darkness was illuminated by a titanic flame. Even from the surface of the calm sea, despite the oily blackness that hid the sea floor, a conflict was evident. Demonically colorful explosions and plumes drifted skyward from the black deep. The spires and constructs lining the neighboring islands were fairing no better, their once valiant architecture now collapsed and burning with equally eerie flames. The moon kept her refuge behind her cloudy protection. The ocean was denied her shine that night. 

Bodies littered the cobble streets of the city. One glance to the surface confirmed suspicions that the upper city had already fallen. Despite the the watery surroundings, aggressing flames, no doubt imbued with spells burned ever brightly along the sea floor. Innocents ran, warriors fought to the bitter end. Buildings caved in and drifted along the shifting sands of the floor. People swam towards the infinite sky, but were shot down ever so quickly. The enemy’s attrition refused to cease. 

The room shook. Bombs and spells were being cast along the city streets. They were coming, she knew they were. Mari shot a glance towards her husband, fear and a cracked determination evident in her gaze. Nestled tightly to her chest was her only remaining hope. The only catalyst of her efforts. her child. The towering man watched as his wife held their girl tightly. Rubble broke away from the supports of their home as the shaking grew more intense.  
“We don’t have time, there’s no escape.”, he spoke solemnly.  
“All I need is a moment.” Mari responded snappily. She was met with a hesitant nod from the man.  
He turned to leave, shooting one final glance over his shoulder.  
“Mari.”  
She locked eyes with her lover.  
“I love you.” He shot her a grim smile before continuing out of the refuge.  
“Y- you too.” She choked out as he looked away for the last time.  
She wasted no time, hastily sprinting to a book-filled room. She laid the child upon the table and reached for one of the many books along the walls. Opening it to a folded page, she began to speak clearly in the native makonian tongue. Moments passed and the result of her ritual became clear. Runes began to swirl around the room from every single one of the shelved books. Foreign writings and magical diagrams flew around the room with dark splendor as Mari chanted louder. The child cried out in fear, her eyes wide with terrified wonder at the foreign writings dancing about the air around her. The atmosphere was ominous and windy as the swirling symbols began to funnel downwards. Mari brought her ink-dipped finger to the child’s torso and began to absently paint upon her firstborn. The child’s cries were silenced as she trained her eyes on her mother. The maternal figure gave a weak smile towards her daughter before collapsing limply to the floor. The runes funneled accurately into the mark the child now bore upon her stomach. The swirling subsided as the last of the letters and drawings disappeared with a flash within the baby. 

Mari struggled to her feet painfully. Her mana was drained, and she felt it. Leaning against the tabletop, she extended a hand once again to her child’s face, caressing it gently. Footsteps and banging rang out loudly behind her but she simply ignored them. She pressed her lips to her daughter’s forehead, planting a kiss upon the child.  
“I love you more than you know child, I wish I could’ve raised you l-longer...”, she choked out the last words, barely maintaining her demeanor.  
“Don’t worry, you’ll turn out wonderfully, I just know it, The world is yours. Knock em’ dead.... Nuhi-“, she bookended her sentence with a tear and a quiet utterance, and everything washed to white.

Nuhi’s body shot awake in panic. Her eyes were wide and sweat caked her face. She raised her finger to her face to feel her complexion, wiping away a tear in the process. She thought to herself, staring emptily at her hands. “Why was she crying, what was that dream, it felt so real... no. It couldn’t be” she racked her brain for the answers but no such explanation was provided.  
“Must you rustle awake so early dear?”, a husky voice croaked from behind her. When she lacked a response, a large arm snaked around her waist as the hulking demon leaned her weight upon her elbow.  
“Little Sóme are you alright?”, she repeated with concern in her voice.  
“Nuhi!”, she exclaimed loudly.  
Nuhi was shook from her thoughts by her lover’s mighty voice. She angled her head and met Inari’s dark eyes. The dark orbs grew when she noticed Nuhi’s tear stained cheeks. Inari brought the mako into a lovingly tight embrace, pressing her hand to the back of her head and cradling her into her shoulder.  
“What bothers you Sóme?”, Nuhi gently raised her head, meeting Inari’s dark gaze with her own tear stained eyes.  
“I don’t know how I forgot, I-I don’t understand...”, she appeared deep in thought.  
“My own family Inari, I can’t believe... I d-don’t want to believe it, they- I- I saw them Inari.”.  
Nuhi’s apprehensive grip tightened around her mate.  
“It’s okay, it was only a nightmare, don’t pay it any mind, it will be alright.” She comforted the the captain.  
“No-it was... it wasn’t a dream Inari. This wasn’t an illusion, I was there! I can’t comprehend how that’s possible or how I forgot but these are memories! They’re... my memories.” Her tears stopped flowing and her eyes were alight with determination.  
“But not only are these memories, I saw something, my parents aren’t just dead. They were murdered.”, her gaze grew solemn as it trailed towards the dark window. Rain patterned softly against the glass pane, her eyes were dark red with despair. Inari was concerned for her mate, this wasn’t like her at all. She’d never seen such rage and emptiness in her eyes before. The demon released Nuhi and leaned for the edge of the bed. 

She stood upon the floorboards with a creak as she searched the room for her travel clothes.  
“Why’re you getting dressed, it’s still dark outside?” Nuhi questioned,  
“Because, were going to find out what that dream was about. We’re going to find out what happened to your parents. You know where to start?”, Inari inquired to the mako. She couldn’t help but notice the single tear make it’s way down her lover’s cheek slowly.  
“Why so solemn little one? I promise I’ll help you uncover the truth.” , She gave a warm smile.  
“That’s why I’m crying idiot-“, she said with a slight chuckle in her tone.  
“I can’t believe you’re helping me, I’ve never spoken about my parents before, nor did I even think about them.”, she spoke quietly.  
“Of course I’m helping you, were in this together aren’t we? Why wouldn’t I help the one I love?”, She stared seriously at the captain.  
“I- yeah, I’m sorry. I love you too...”, she trailed off, a blush apparent on her cheeks.  
Inari nodded approvingly at the adorable gesture.

The heat of the day had peaked ever so high. The white sand glided in the wind around Inari’s feet. The ocean’s never-ceasing waves lapped gently at the shoreline. Nuhi trudged slowly just ahead of her, leading the duo towards their destination.  
“Would you remind me where we are again?”, Inari spoke dryly, attempting to break the silence.  
“This is meddia, but most people just call it the Pirate Isle, and rightly so.”, she spoke matter-of-factly.  
“And this is... you’re home is it not?”, Inari questioned further.  
“Yep, I mean, at least mostly”, She glanced around as she spoke the last part.  
“You mean you didn’t always live here?”, the demon inquired.  
“Nah, I always knew I hailed from somewhere else but I was too young to really care enough to ask where that was. But that’s why we’re here today, I know someone who has answers.”, she said determinately.  
Inari quickened her pace ever so slightly in order to walk alongside the captain.  
“I must admit Sóme, you’re home is beautiful, I’d even say it’s more gaze-worthy than the shores of my home.”, She said, investigating her surroundings.  
“You’ll have to tell me about your homeland sometime soon, I’ve always been curious! But for now, ‘looks like we’re close to the village.”, she pointed just ahead, drawing Inari’s gaze to a beachside town full of docks, palm trees and droves of residents.

As they strolled through the Main Street of the village, Inari saw many faces. They seemed happy, busy, and hospitable; at least to her knowledge. She met many civilian’s gazes, and returned all of them with an awkward smile. She felt severely displaced among so many different tropical villagers. Her black skin, eyes, and hair were not the majority in this community she noticed. Not to mention her red markings and towering horns. No one seemed to bat an eye at Nuhi however, she fit right in. As they came across the town square, Inari began to see merchants and exotic food. She was going to mention it to her mate, however she already appeared to be conversing with a petite woman wearing bright fishing clothes who seemed to be running her own fish business. Inari reaches towards one of her more colorful fish, simply admiring it’s glittering scales in the tropical sun. It’s teals and yellows danced in beautiful symphony across its flanks.  
“Just whaddya think your doin’!!!”, a high voice called in her direction.  
Inari broke her investigation of the fish to face the merchant. The petite woman Nuhi was speaking to was now faced towards the demoness, flintlock pistol pointed right at her head.  
“I’ve already had the feds come in ‘ere three times this week! I’ve lost half me damn haul already, and now I’ve gotta worry ‘bout some outsider stealin’ me shit too?”, she exclaimed, cocking the weapon.  
Inari wasn’t threatened obviously, this peashooter couldn’t do anything to her, but the small woman’s sudden outburst and readiness to attack took her off guard.  
“She didn’t mean anythin’ by it! She’s not from around here, sorry for the inconvenience!”, Nuhi called from behind the armed merchant.  
The fisher woman took one final deep glance into Inari’s dark eyes before lowering her stance. She holstered the weapon inside her short sash. Hidden discreetly against her toned thigh.  
“If ya’ say so Nuhi... if she’s with ya’ she can’t be all bad.”, she spoke, suddenly calm once more. Nuhi said goodbye to the fisher and purchased a large orange striped fish. 

 

“So... how do you know that woman?”; Inari spoke up as they worked their way towards the beach.  
“She’s an old friend, we go way back. When we were kids we’d play in that very street.”, Nuhi lamented longingly. The sun began to sink low on the horizon and the sky splashed with oranges and pinks. Inari turned to her mate and met eyes with her. “Who did you come out all this way to see Sóme?” Nuhi perked her ears at the question but answered promptly. “My old mentor.”


End file.
